Motor drive unit for textile winding machines and the like



Sept. 21, 1954 MOTOR Filed March 3, 1952 A. E. WINSLOW ET AL DRIVE UNIT FOR TEXTILE WINDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS IUBERT [.W/IYJLOW 5- JOHN A. BRADSHAW BY 15mm, 7604M 5 SM'M ATTORNEYS P 21, 1 4 A. E. WINSLOW ETAL 2,689,448

MOTOR DRIVE UNIT FOR TEXTILE WINDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed March 3, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 11. w; 5 m 5;; L 6;!( i 24 g 1X8. 9 21 A. I O 20 zc, 1 O 0 i o p O O O C O O O O O C O O O O O O O .12 O a O O C) C C O DO U C) O C) \J I: 0 c m1 22 O O Ili ip-o g j O O INVENTORS ,1 11 ALBERT I. nr/msz an a :1 O .ro/m' 4. 504mm W f d/Mad, 6

ATTORNEYS P 21, 1 54 A. E. WINSLOW ET AL 2,689,448

MOTOR DRIVE UNIT FOR TEXTILE WINDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed March 3, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ALJfi/Pl' 5.1100510 :5 JOHN A. BRADSHAW aya 64; aw

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 21, 1954 MOTOR DRIVE UNIT FOR TEXTILE WINDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Albert E. Winslow and John A. Bradshaw, Greenville, S. 0., assignors to J. P. Stevens & (30., Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application March 3, 1952, Serial No. 274,562

1 Claim. (Cl. 57-405) This invention relates to textile winding machines of the type commonly referred to as an uptwister, and more particularly to an 1mproved motor drive unit for such machines.

As is Well known, uptwisters are used for the so-called throwing operation in which a desired degree of twist is placed in filament yarn by regulating the conditions under which the yarn is rewound from a rotating yarn delivery spindle to a yarn receiving member actuated by frictional contact with a take-up roll. The winding machines employed for this purpose are conventionally arranged with the yarn delivery spindles and yarn receiving members and related operatin elements in a plurality of vertically. spaced banks with common means for driving the spindles and for regulating actuation of the yarn receiving members in each bank so that yarn is Withdrawn from the rotating spindles at a rate that will impart the desired twist as it is rewound.

The driving means employed in this arrangement characteristically incorporates an endless drive belt trained from a drive pulley at one end of the machine past the spindle whorls to rotate the spindles and reaching to a twist unit at the other end of the machine through which actuation of the yarn receiving members is regulated for the twist desired. As the primary purpose of this throwing operation is to place a desired degree of twist in the yarn in the course of rewinding, it is highly important to maintain an effective driving connection from the drive pulley to the spindle whorls and twist unit so that proper regulation of the resulting twist can be obtained. However, substantial difficulty has heretofore been encountered in maintaining satisfactory operation of these driving connections over a period of time due to the tendency of the endless belt connections to change their tension characteristics and therefore operate inconsistently due to a variety of factors, such as stretching, changes in atmospheric condition, and Wear, and the like.

According to the present invention, this difficulty is eliminated entirely by the provision of a motor drive unit arranged so that the drive motor and associated pulley for the endless belt connection are shiftably positioned on the machine under the control of positioning means by which a substantially constant tensioning pressure is always maintained on the endless belt connection from the motor or drive pulley. This arrangement results in a particularly effective and dependable driving connection which, may be maintained with a regular level of effectiveness at all times.

The arrangement of this motor drive unit of the present invention as noted above and other features thereof are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a, preferred embodiment of a yarn winding machine or uptwister with which the motor drive unit of the present invention might be used;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the yarn winding machine shown in Fig. 1 taken adjacent the mid stand element;

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating the lengthwise layout arrangement of the yarn winding machine shown in Fig. l, and in particular the arrangement of the endless belt driving connection for this machine;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a motor drive unit arranged in accordance with the present invention for drivin a yarn winding machine such as is shown in Fig. 1, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and right end views corresponding generally to Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 isa detail illustrating the arrangement of wear strips for the motor mounting guideways in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly at first to Fig. 1, there is illustrated in Fig. 1, as mentioned above, a preferred embodiment of an uptwister or yarn winding machine in which the motor drive unit of the present invention might be used. As shown, this yarn winding machine incorporates a frame structure comprisin a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical stand elements arranged adjacent the ends of the machine as at Ill and II and intermediately thereof as at l2. Each of these stand elements H), II and I2 is provided at their lower ends with lateral base members 13, which are fitted with leveling feet I4 at their extending ends, and which engage and support a guard rail l5 encircling the machine.

Mounted on the frame structure are the previously mentioned banks of yarn rewinding elements as indicated generally at B, and which are illustrated as comprising a plurality of yarn delivery spindles i 6 spaced with interposed separators l1 and arranged in relation to a corresponding plurality of yarn take-up rolls I8 spaced above the spindles l6 and adapted for actuating yarn receiving members which may be disposed in finger brackets IQ for peripheral driving contact withithese take-up rolls [8, the relative disposition of the yarn receiving members with respect to the take-up rolls is when empty being indicated in Fig. 2 at M, and the yarn receiving memher position indicated in broken lines at M illustrating the vertical displacement provided for by the finger brackets [9 as yarn is rewound to fill the yarn receiving members.

Additionally, the banks B of operating elements include idler pulleys 26 for training an endless belt drive connection 2| past whorl portions 22 of the spindles I1, centering eyes 2?; disposed above the spindles it for obtaining and controlling the ballooning effect of yarn delivered from bobbins or yarn carriers C mounted on the spindles l6, and traverse bars as for carrying yarn guides '(not shown) to direct the rewinding traverse of the yarn on the yarn receiving members M.

Also mounted on the frame structure at the end stand element H) are motor drive units 25 arranged. according to the present invention for each bank 13, and from which the endless belt drives 2| for the spindles l-B run and extend to transmission means or twist'units 26 mounted on the other end stand element H for controlling the operation of the take-up rolls IS in relation to the spindles It, as previously mentioned (compare Fig. 3). Reference is made to copending application Serial No. 274,561, filed concurrently herewith, for a further detailed disclosure of the arrangement of the frame structure and disposition of the operating elements thereon in a yarn Winding machine as described generally above, and to copending application Serial No. 274,563, now Patent No. 2,667,030, also filed concurrently herewith, for a further disclosureof the arrangement and funetion of the twist units 25. V In addition, reference is also made to copending application Serial No. 274,536, likewise filed concurrently herewith, for a description of a traverse motion suitable for association with the twist units 28 to actuate the traverse bars 24 as mentioned above.

The arrangement and function of the motor drive units 25 of'the present invention is illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings. A particular feature of this'arr'ange ment is the manner in which provision for accommodating any standard form of drive motor (partially indicated by broken lines at Din Figs. 4 and 6) of suitable size and capacity for the drive requirements imposed. Previously, it has been commonly necessary to employ substantially more expensive squat-type drive motors because of space limitations in the structural arrangements employed by prior yarn winding machines.

The drive motor D is mounted for operation according to the present invention on a vertical axis with its pulley shaft extending downwardly to carry a drive pulley as at 21 for the endless. belt drive connection 2 l. r A motor mounting plate 28 is provided for directly carrying the motor D in this manner, the mounting plate 28 being formed with apertured seating bosses as at 29 through which fastening studs may be arranged to secure the motor D in place, and with a central clearance aperture 30 for the downwardly extending motor pulley shaft. This motor mounting plate 28 is also fitted with a pair of diametrically opposed roller members 3| arranged transversely with respect to the drive motor D, and through which the mounting plate 28 is shiftably supported in a housing for the motor drive unit 25.

This housing is suitably formed compositely of a back support plate 32 adapted for bolting as at 33 on the motor and stand It by use of spacers as at 34 and back clamping bars 35. The back support plate 32 is also adapted for a bolted assembly as at 36 with housing side plates 31 and 38. These housing side plates 3'! and 38 are formed with spaced positioning lugs as indicated at 39 for receiving and supporting a bottom plate 36 and a pair of top plates 4| forming a shroud above and below the drive pulley 21, and are further adapted for bolted assembly as at 42 with an end plate member 43 closing off the motor housing between the extending ends of the side plates 31 and 38 at the drive pulleylevel, so that the drive pulley 21 can be completely enclosed during operation. The end plate member 43 is also adapted for interfitting with standing support rods M for the motor drive units 25, the end plates 53 being slidably adjustable on these support rods 44 and fitted with set screws 45 for fixing thereon at a properly adjusted position. One of the above noted side plates, such as 31, may also be formed with bosses as at it for mounting straps 41 adapted for carrying a suitable switch means (not shown) for the drive motor D.

The previously mentioned motor mounting plate 28 is supported in the above described housing by means of horizontal guideways 48 formed in the side plates 31 andtfi to receive the mounting plate'roller members 31 for rolling movement to provide for shiftable adjustment of the drive motor D with respect to the housing so as to maintain a prope tension on the endless drive belt 2i as will be described more in detail presently. A particular feature of these guideways 48 is the arrangement on the faces thereof that bear the weight of the drive motor D of removable wear strips 39. These wear strips 49 may be suitably formed of spring steel in a length corresponding generally to that of the guideways s8, and may be fitted therein conveniently by means of fastening bolts 56 at each end so as to be easily replaceable when necessary, while providing a hard, wear-resistant surface at the weight carrying faces of the guideways 48.

The motor mounting plate 28 is maintained at a horizontal disposition through a neck portion 5! reaching downwardly between the pair of top pulley shroud plates 4| and beneath the back housing plate 32 forassmbly on the extending end of'a piston rod 52 that is associated with a fluid pressure cylinder 53 carried on the motor end stand it! by mounting'bolts'as at 54 (compare Figs. 4 and 6). The pressure cylinder 53 is of the single action type, being supplied with a pressurefluid such as air through a conduit connection 55 for reaction on the piston rod 52 to urge the motor mounting plate 23 and consequently the drive motor D and drive pulley '27 to the right as shown in Fig. 4, which is the di rection' opposed to the pull of the endless drive belt 2i so that pressure from the cylinder 5-3 serves to tension the drive belt 21 and the shiftable mounting of the drive motor D allows this tension to be set in accordance with the pressure applied at the cylinder 53.

By this arrangement, it is possible to maintain a substantially constant tension on the drive belt 2i at any degree or level of belt tension desired. This is of particular advantage because, in addition to the fact that belt drives always have a tendency to change their tension characteristics due to stretching and the like, there is also a proper tension for any given operating speed with the necessary tension to prevent slippage increasing as the speed increases, and the arrangement of the present invention makes it possible to adjust the belt tension nicely to care for such changing conditions by simply adjusting the fluid pressure applied at the cylinder 53 accordingly. Also, this arrangement provides a simple means of releasing the tensioning pressure on the drive belts 2| during down periods simply by cutting off or cutting down the fluid pressure supply to the cylinders 53.

It will be recognized that a pressure cylinder is provided for the motor drive unit 25 in each bank B of the yarn winding machine described above, and as the fluid pressure can be divided equally between any number of such pressure cylinders 53, the fluid pressure supply may be provided in any convenient manner, as from a central compressor unit (not shown) arranged to serve the yarn winding machine or a group of such machines.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this disclosure or otherwise except as defined in the appended claim.

We claim:

In a winding machine, in combination, a frame structure, at least one bank of yarn delivery spindles and yarn take-up rolls above said spindles for driving yarn receiving members, means incorporating an endless belt connection for rotating said spindles and actuating said takeup rolls, and a motor drive unit comprising a drive motor having a central pulley shaft fitted with a drive pulley for said endless belt connection, a mounting plate secured to said drive motor transversely of the axis of said pulley shaft and having a pair of roller members assembled thereon in diametrically opposed relation with respect to said pulley shaft axis, a mounting bracket fixed at one end on said frame structure and formed with grooves providing guideways for receiving said mounting plate roller members, means adjustably supporting the other end of said mounting bracket for maintaining said mounting bracket grooves extending in parallel relation with respect to the reach of said endless belt connection, said mounting plate having the roller members thereon disposed in said mounting bracket grooves so as to position said drive motor with the pulley shaft thereof extending vertically downward, and fluid pressure tensioning means fixed to react between said mounting bracket and mounting plate in alignment with said endless belt reach and oppositely balanced with respect to the belt tension on said drive pulley.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

